Tafseer of The Announcement · An-Naba · 78:39
That is the True Day; so he who wills may take to his Lord a [way of] return.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His statement, the Exalted: ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَآبًا ("That is the Day of Truth; so whoever wills, let him take to his Lord a place of return") (39)
The Exalted, whose renown is praised, says: ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ ("that is the Day") — that is to say: the Day of Resurrection, and it is the day on which the Spirit and the angels stand in rows — الْحَقُّ ("the Truth") — He says: it is a truth that will come to pass, concerning which there is no doubt.
And His statement: فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَآبًا ("so whoever wills, let him take to his Lord a place of return") — He says: whoever of His servants wills, let him take — by holding this Day of Truth to be true, preparing himself for it, and performing that wherein lies his deliverance from its terrors — مَآبًا , that is to say: a place of return. It is a form on the pattern "mafʿal" from their expression: "so-and-so returned (āba) from his journey", as ʿUbayd said:
"And everyone who is absent will return again, but whoever is absent through death does not return." (5)
In accordance with what we have said concerning this, spoke the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl).
* Mention of who said this:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَآبًا ("so whoever wills, let him take to his Lord a place of return") — he said: they took to Allah a place of return by obeying Him and by that which brings them near to Him.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَآبًا ("to his Lord a place of return") — he said: a way.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān: مَآبًا ("a place of return") — he says: a place of return, an abode.
